Long Black Veil
by Queen Kez the Wicked
Summary: COMPLETE. After all, Race was my best friend, and she… Race was my best friend.
1. Chapter 1

**Long Black Veil**

**Author's Note: **I finished it, for better or for worse. Originally published under a different penname (that version has been deleted). Based off of the song "Long Black Veil." I suggest you listen to it after reading the story.

**Special Thanks: **LL Bean slippers, dark chocolate, zip drives, inspiration in unlikely places.

* * *

It was a Tuesday. I remember this because I hate Tuesdays. I was sitting on the Lodging House's front stoop, my legs bent and apart, back hunched, the stub of a glowing cigarette burning my fingers. It was cold. My breath rose in steam when I exhaled, and burned my throat on the intake. Any sensible fellow was already inside and in bed, covers up to his chin, dreaming of roaring fires or the hot summer sun.

Still, there were a few stragglers. I could hear Ivan "Dutchy" Von Dutch come stumbling down the street from a block away. By his side was a tall, amicable kid we just called Specs. Specs had mousy, curly brown hair and a curious expression, but tonight it was marred by drink. They both gave me friendly punches before helping each other through the door with a last minute attempt to compose themselves.

About five minutes later (after the tip of my smoke was no longer big enough to get my lips around) Jack Kelly came round the bend, whistling lowly. He stopped in front of me and I looked up through my bangs but did not raise my head.

"Comin' in?" He asked casually.

"No, thanks," I said quietly in return.

Jack looked for a second at the door, then his glaze returned to me.

"Uh… you know, Skitts, I could just lend ya s-"

"No, thanks," I said again, a little more forcefully. Jack was fatherly, protective, and sometimes a little too much so - but he usually knew when to stop.

"Alright, g'night," he said, and brushed past me to the door. He opened it, but paused at the sill. "'ey," he said, and when I turned, tossed me a fresh cigarette. I nodded my thanks and he grinned and disappeared.

I turned the smoke around and around between my fingers, debating when to light it. As I was listing the pros and cons of starting it that second, I felt someone settle down beside me.

"Christ," I muttered. "Didn't even hear ya, Race."

The short Italian beside me shifted a little and grunted around the large cigar he had in his mouth, chewing thoughtfully. His eyes were closed, and his hat sat off his head so his hair, dark and curly, could be seen underneath. Everything about him was purposeful, Racetrack, from the persona he had created to the cigar he chewed (never smoked). Yeah, he was well put together. I was a mess in comparison, and the contrast was even sharper now that we sat side by side. My hair was messy, my face dirty, my clothes torn, my cap patched, my smokes bummed. Race didn't care, and why should he? Smart as he might have looked, he was still a street rat like me. In the end, only one thing mattered, and that was that we were best friends.

We sat in silence for awhile, me staring at my cig and him chewing away and grunting every so often. Finally, he said -

"-out here."

I blinked. "What?"

"I said, it's a little chilly. It's cold out here."

"Oh. Yeah," I said.

"Huh," said Race, he stood up, dusted off his knees, and disappeared inside. I was puzzled, but distracted myself by taking my time striking a match against the stair below me. I watched it burn for a moment then brought it up to my mouth, where Jack's cigarette was held. I took the longest drag my lungs could handle and then leaned back on my elbows and blew it out, watching the smoke hang in the air. The door opened, then slammed shut, and Racetrack remained, a bundle in his arms and a glare in his eye.

"Hey," I said, "you better get in there before Kloppman locks up for the night."

"Bad news, Skitts," Racetrack said dryly. "He just did."

"Well… then you shouldn't have come back out," I said lamely.

"What, and leave you out here by your little lonesome? I couldn't do that! You need protection, my friend." There was a pause. "And blankets. I got some blankets." He dropped his bundle and I unfolded one of the scratchy brown blankets hungrily.

"Yeah, we're roughin' it tonight," Race continued in that same dry tone. "Look at us. Sleepin' out here 'neath the stars." He sat down and gestured up at the sky to get my attention. "Up there," he said to me. "They tell me there're stars up there."

I settled my blanket over my knees and slid back a little so I could lean against the brick wall. No, I wasn't going to say it. It would be stupid, besides, he probably knew already that-

"Thanks, Race," I muttered, then yawned quickly and shut my eyes, cigarette smoldering away.

He'd heard me, and he grunted, and leaned against his part of the wall, blanket over his shoulders like some sort of poor man's cape. His cigar was hidden, stashed in some pocket somewhere, and his eyes were still trained skyward.

I took another drag and then passed my smoke to Race, who accepted it without a word. I sighed, then, and tried to settle in a little more, stubbornly ignoring the chill that had set deep in my bones.

* * *


	2. Chapter 2

Before I knew it, morning had come, and I woke freezing, stiff, sore, and aching with hunger. Race was still asleep and ashes had scattered over his blanket, giving the strange appearance of something like a mini snowstorm. I rubbed at my eyes with my fists and stood up painfully. Another long day ahead to follow the one that had so recently ended.

Race awoke with an audible groan and rolled over and off the stoop. I ignored him and walked around a little, trying to loosen the November chill from my body.

"Well, that was fun," he said from behind me. "But, sorry Skitts, I don't plan on doing it again. So for my sake, how 'bout you sell all your papes today, yeah?"

"Yeah, sure," I said. "Might as well get a head start, huh?" I began to head off to the distribution office.

"Okay, alright," he agreed, and ran a few steps to catch up. Even when I slouched, Race was barely at shoulder height. But what he lacked in stature he made up in character. There was something about him… you could tell, something invisible just surrounded him, and you knew he was a force.

-

"Be still my heart," Race said a few blocks later, putting out a hand to stop me. I followed his gaze and felt my heart skip a beat despite his warning. Walking towards us was a girl, brown hair in braids, soft blue eyes, small and cute as all hell, the kind of girl you could just wrap your arms around and hold forever, and --

And --

She caught sight of us and quickened her pace, a smile lighting up her features. My breath stuck in my throat.

And… Race's girl.

She reached us and dropped her package at my feet, then pulled Race to her and pressed her head against his chest with a satisfied giggle. He laughed and kissed her hair, his arms strong around her shoulders. I stood off to the side, feeling awkward, and picked up her forgotten things. She broke the embrace and turned her bright eyes towards me.

"Hi Skitts," she teased. She loved our nicknames.

"Anna," I said with a little tip of my cap. She giggled again and I noticed (not for the first time) her dimples. Race slid his arm snug around her waist and pulled her back our direction. She accepted her things back from me with another smile and chatted with him softly. I found myself falling a step or two behind, and watched them intently, without really meaning to.

They were in love, it was obvious, and it stung my eyes to look at it. It was obvious in the way he guided her absentmindedly around little things in the side walk, puddles, broken stones, trash. It was obvious in the way she looked at him as he talked, her eyes shining with trust and warmth. It was obvious in the way he changed around her, the way he stumbled over words he would fire off a mile a minute at anyone else, the flush his face sometimes took on, the way his quick flash of a smile showed up more often.

I was bitterly jealous, but I didn't begrudge them. After all, Race was my best friend, and Anna, she… Race was my best friend.

-

Anna parted from us at the Distribution gates and Race and I leaned back against the comforting iron with identical sighs.

"Amazin'," he murmured, half to himself.

"She's quite a gal," I echoed dully, and we fell silent again.

It wasn't long before the rest of Manhattan caught up with us and we were surrounded on all sides by fighting, yelling, jeering newsboys of all ages, joking and fighting amongst themselves in some sort of barely organized chaos. I loved it.

We got our papers with little trouble and moved out together to find a good place to stake out for the day. I flipped through one of my copies as we walked, making little mental notes along the way. On the calendar page I paid special attention.

"Here," I said, nodding towards a small paragraph. "Town hall meeting starts in an hour."

"Perfect," Race smirked. The town hall was a favorite place of ours to sell. Its morning meetings were usually packed full with important businessmen and politicians, young and old, all needing their news in a hurry on the way in. We separated and stood across the street from each other, myself a little closer to the actual building than he. Thus began our favorite game - who could make up the most outrageous headline (and get away with it). We were well within earshot of each other, of course, and the only rule was that we could not make eye contact.

Before I could even start, however, a haughty young man, impressively dressed, appeared before me. We exchanged goods without a word, and I could almost hear him sniff as he walked away, head high. Not a hair was out of place on that head. I snickered but the sound was hollow.

"MOTHER GIVES BIRTH TO TWINS, CANNIBALS!" Race's first shout returned me to my task at hand. With an ill concealed grin, I shouted in response.

"MOTHER EATEN AFTER DELIVERIN' CANNIBALS!"

One scared looking lady hurried over and gave me a suspicious glance, but snatched the paper out of my arms anyway. Race had decided to take a different approach, one borrowed from the solid advice of our friend Jack Kelly.

"CANNIBAL LOVENEST DISCOVERED, BROOKLYN!"

"EXTRA, EXTRA! BROOKLYN: VAMPIRE BREEDING GROUND!"

It was now only three quarters of an hour until the meeting began, so the men in their somber black suits began to arrive more frequently now, and their business stopped our fun from getting too out of hand. Before the bell rang signaling the start, I had gone through over half of my papers. Foot traffic had slowed considerably, so I crossed the street to join Race, who was having a little trouble getting rid of a customer who insisted on finding what page the story about the "pirate ship sails up Broadway" was located. He saw me and we slipped away together.

"Not bad," he said, hefting a stack of papers that had shrunk considerably.

"Why, thank you," I grinned. "I must say, it was an impeccable plan." We were back to goofing off, now imitating the clipped voices of the very gentlemen we had just sold to.

Race made an impressive show of clearing his throat. "Yes, wot, I do say ol' chap, smashing, absolutely smashing."

An elderly man with a monocle took a paper and did not look pleased to be paying me for it, so I stopped from continuing my impressions.

"Where do we hit next?" I asked Race, who was puzzling over something in one of his copies.

He closed it up with a grunt and found his cigar in his pocket. "Dunno. Some hot spot, that's our best bet at this time," he said around it.

"Alright," I agreed. "I'll go to the park, meet you back here with the next edition?"

He nodded and moved off in the opposite direction, yelling nonsense in his rough accent all the way.

-

I had gone no more than three blocks when a strange voice behind me said, gruffly, "I need a paper, boy." I turned around dutifully and was surprised to find Anna in place of an ornery old man. She laughed loudly, her eyes dancing.

"Hey, how's it going today?" She asked in her normal tone.

"Pretty well, actually," I said, nodding towards my rapidly decreasing stack. "I won't complain."

"Well, I do need a paper," she said, and produced a penny from one of the deep pockets hidden in her smock. I handed her a copy but refused her money with a mock bow and a quick step back.

"Skittery," she said warningly, her mouth set. "Take it."

I just shook my head and continued walking backwards. "No, thank you," I said politely.

"Fine, I'm giving it to Race," she told me with a scowl.

I ignored her and lifted my hat in a silent farewell. She laughed again and shook her head, but kept her money and continued on her way. I turned around and tried to slow my heart from the frantic pace it had picked up. I was unsuccessful.

At the park, I made my stand near the edge of a crowded dirt path and found it easy to sell papers to the old men sitting on the benches and the gentlemen who were walking with their ladies. One man, with a dusty monocle and the bushiest mustache I had ever seen, even tried to engage me in conversation, but I was unable to impress him with my knowledge… in fact, the only topic I could even respond to was the weather.

"Yeah," I said. "Sure is nice out."

He left soon after that attempt with an annoyed expression. He forgot his paper.

-

The next night I sat again out on the front steps. Despite the day before, I hadn't had many good selling days recently, and this one was no exception. So there I was, stooped over my bent knees, head on one hand, the other holding a cigarette. I was debating on whether or not to use some of my precious little money to spend the night inside, and the chill in the air was beginning to help my decision.

It was dusk, and most were inside getting ready to go out for the night. I heard the scrape of shoes on the cobblestones to my right and soon Anna appeared before me.

"Good evening," she said politely. I looked up and smiled faintly.

"Hey."

She looked very pretty, her hair was curled more than usual and her lips shone red. She smiled back and my eyes traced those lips.

"Is Anthony around?" She asked, craning her head around to try and look through the door.

"Yeah, he's up there," I said. "He'll be down in just a minute."

"Oh, alright." She paused and looked around for a second, then gathered up her skirts and sat beside me. "I'll just wait here, then."

I just nodded and stared down at my cigarette. For the life of me I couldn't think of anything to say.

Anna wasn't used to silence. "Skittery…"She said slowly, "Skittery, what's your name?"

I glanced over, surprised. "What?" I asked, almost confused.

She smiled again. "Your name… your real name, what is it?"

"Oh," I said, and looked back to my cigarette for help. "Um… Michael." The word felt strange on my tongue, I hadn't said it in so long.

"Michael," she said, like she was testing it out. "I like it. Is it okay if I call you Michael from now on? I can't believe I hadn't asked before."

"Yeah, sure," I said. I didn't take my eyes off my smoke. My heart was beating fast, again. Not even a good drag helped calm it down. Luckily for my sake, Race opened the door just a few moments later and helped Anna off the step. He kissed her lightly on the lips and she blushed. Then he turned and tipped his hat to me.

"See you later," he said. "And inside, too."

Anna looked confused. "Why wouldn't he be inside?" She asked.

"No reason," I said quickly, and Race didn't challenge it. He took her hand and they began to walk away.

"Good night, Michael!" Anna called over her shoulder, and I heard Race laugh. I smiled wryly and, mind made up, tossed my cigarette to the ground and went into the Lodging House for the night.


	3. Chapter 3

Days passed and the weather only grew colder. For a week now I had been attempting to defend my favorite selling spot by the park from some new face that had moved into Manhattan, and it was beginning to be very tiring. So tiring, that only my stubborn pride was in the way of me just throwing up my hands and yelling "Alright! I don't care anymore! Just take it!" But that wasn't the way things were done. This was my area to sell, and I wasn't going to let some kid who was still wet behind the ears just up and take it from me.

It was no different on this Tuesday, when I could see my rival coming a block away by the telltale shock of white hair that bobbed up and down as he walked. I had tried to get Race to help me, but he had just laughed it off, not believing that I could be so angered by "some kid." His name, I learned, was Henry. There wasn't much beneath that white-blond hair, blue eyes so pale they were almost colorless, a storm of equally pale freckles, and the typical scrawny build of a street rat.

He approached, but instead of stopping to exchange a few insults like usual, attempted to walk right under my nose and past me. I could see why: he was going to try and sell right across the way, only about fifteen yards off, and, judging by his younger age and messier appearance, was probably going to get more sympathy buyers, too. My eyes narrowed and I grabbed his shoulder to stop him.

"Just where do you think you're going?"

"I'm selling here," he told me fiercely and glared up into my eyes.

"You ain't selling here," I said, meeting his gaze. I tried a different approach than usual. "You got the whole damn city, why here?"

He paused. "Because…" He looked around and then jerked his head towards something. "Her."

I looked over and frowned. Anna was walking by, probably on her way to work. I had never noticed it before… but, of course, I usually wasn't forced to get to this spot so early in the morning.

My hand tightened its gripped and he couldn't help but wince a little.

"Stay away from her," I warned.

He laughed. "Yeah, and if I don't?"

I didn't answer, just pushed him away hard and shook my head. "Stay away."

I tried to focus on selling, but it was hard, watching out the corner of my eye as he went up to Anna and try to sell her a paper. I saw her refuse, and him follow her anyway, talking all the while. At one point, right before they turned a corner, he looked back. Whether or not he was doing it all for show, he definitely wanted me to see. My head was pounding; I was angry, but he could wait. At that moment the only thing I wanted to worry about was getting rid of all my papers.

-

That night, a little before dusk, I told Race about what had happened. He was not happy, but the first thing he asked me about was Anna -- he seemed almost hurt.

"Was she talkin' to him?" He asked sincerely. "Was she interested? I just don't get it."

"Nah, she didn't take a pape, I think he was just followin' her, talkin' her ear off." I described how Henry had looked back at me. "He just followed her to make me mad because I'd told him to stay away, remember?"

Race smiled a little. "Yeah… yeah, you're a good pal, Skitts, thanks. So what're we gonna do about this bastard?"

Henry entered the Lodging House that night with a busted nose, a bleeding lip, and a black eye: three reminders (one delivered in Anna's name) for him to watch out. The next morning I walked slowly to my spot near the park and enjoyed finally being alone again, giving Anna a short wave as she passed and allowing myself a smug smile.

-

The next night I was walking home from a show at Medda's when Race ran up to me, looking troubled.

"Hey, Skitts, could you do me a favor?" He asked, throwing a harried glance behind him.

"Yeah, sure," I answered automatically. "Anything."

"Could you walk Anna home?"

My heart leapt. "Uh, sure…" I said, then frowned. "Race, what's--"

"Nothin," he said quickly. "Nothin, I… I gotta see to this, that's all." He brought me back to Anna, then kissed her good bye and walked away in a hurry. I looked at Anna (who seemed worried) and shrugged.

"Where to?" I asked, even though I knew exactly where we were going. She told me the address and we began to walk together in comfortable silence. It was dark and the night had its usual chill. I noticed Anna shivering and clenched my hand into a fist. I wanted so badly to reach out and warm her, but…

She shivered again, a little more violently, and both pulled her coat closer around herself and moved a little nearer to me. She leaned in so her head was almost touching my arm.

"At least it's not a long walk," she said, but I was thinking the exact opposite, and I would endure any climate for this chance.

Before I even knew what I was doing, I slipped my arm around her shoulders, bringing her closer still and warming us both. She looked up at me and smiled, and I answered with a smile of my own, my heart fit to burst. She crossed her arms and I rubbed her shoulder, feeling my fingers come back to life as the blood moved more easily. We both laughed, quietly, even a little awkwardly, and I felt warm all over despite the cold.

We walked another few blocks and arrived at her family's tenement all too soon. She broke away and looked up at me with that same smile.

"Thanks for walking me home, Michael," she said, then hugged me tightly.

I almost jumped back, I was so startled, but composed myself and returned the embrace. She let go and then stood on her toes and kissed my cheek lightly, her lips barely brushing the skin, but it burned as if I had been slapped. I was breathing heavily, now.

"Good night," I said with effort, and walked away.

-

I wasn't asleep yet when Race returned that night. I heard him get into the bunk below, and so I asked quietly, "Well? How'd it go?"

I heard him shift around in his covers. "Fine," he said. "Just fine."

I decided not to ask any more questions than that, I would rather just enjoy the night as it had been given to me.

"Good," I said, and smiled despite myself. I touched my cheek, which still burned. "Good."


	4. Chapter 4

For the next two weeks I saw no more of Anna than during mornings, when I got a wave and a smile from across the street. It drove me crazy, but there was nothing I could do about it. I asked Race why I didn't see them together, but he seemed just as confused as I.

"She always has things to do lately," he said with a sigh. "And when I do see her, she seems a little distant, like she's thinking of something else. It's all work related stuff, though, I guess. She says she can't wait to see me, to really see me. So I guess I'll just wait." He brightened at this thought and I smiled, too. He needed her, it was plain to see. And I… I got by.

-

I got by… until early in the third week. Race had gone out for the night to settle some debts, and, not wanting to risk getting a few bruises, I had decided to stick around the Lodging House, and so sat on my favorite step, smoking the night away like usual. I heard Anna coming before I saw her, but still didn't meet her eyes until she said my name.

"Michael, I-"

"He's out for the night," I told her and gave her a sympathetic smile. "Sorry." But she looked almost relieved.

"I know," she said slowly, and took a deep breath. I noticed now that she was shaking just the slightest bit. She was nervous about something. "Michael, I… I came here looking for you."

I raised my eyebrows, surprised, and felt what I thought was probably a similar nervousness.

"Will you take a walk with me?" She asked. This time she was bundled up against the cold, but I didn't have many layers and had been planning to go inside soon.

"Sure," I said, and jumped up.

"You'll be cold," she said with a frown. "It's ok, we can go inside…" She flushed and then smiled at me again and motioned for me to follow her.

We walked a few steps and then I tentatively put my arm around her shoulder in the same fashion it had been weeks ago, and she sighed softly and leaned against me again.

"Where are we going?" I asked after a few minutes.

"I… I thought that maybe you would like some coffee," she said. "My parents are in Jersey, and… well you just looked so cold out there. Lonely."

"Ah," I said, then, "coffee sounds great. Thanks."

We walked in silence, enjoying each other's company, and came to her door. I was freezing, but said nothing. She climbed the first step towards the door, then stopped and turned before I could follow. We were eye level, now, and I felt my breath catch in my throat.

Our eyes met and locked, hers so blue and warm and mine a deep, unreadable brown. Then, moving so slowly it was like we were in a dream, she leaned forward and kissed me. My eyes remained open, wide in shock, but they closed slowly as I enjoyed the warmth and softness of her lips against mine. She broke away and managed to meet my gaze again, and I saw her eyes shining with that same love I had lusted after for months. A thousand feelings rushed through me at once, most of them full of love, and made my vision blur slightly. I admired her courage at putting herself so forward like that, but it was my turn, so I jumped up the stairs, opened the door, and then grabbed her up in my arms. She laughed happily and I just grinned. I shut the door behind us and followed her pointed directions to her apartment.

At her door I faltered, my thoughts returning all at once to Race with a sickening feeling. She seemed to read my eyes, and hugged me tight around the neck.

"Michael," she said slowly. "This is about us."

I met her gaze and saw the love there. This is about us.

"I love you," I told her softly.

"I know," she said, and kissed me again. I reached around her to open the door, then stepped in and finally let her down, closing it quietly behind us. She stood there, looking so small and vulnerable, and for the first time seemed unsure of herself. I bent down and kissed her lips, one hand going behind to cradle her head. She relaxed and deepened the kiss, wrapping her arms around my neck and biting my lower lip gently. I picked her up again so her legs were wrapped around my waist and carried her over to the bed in the corner, where I sat and continued to hold her close.

I broke away only once, and it was to get a proper look at her, one to burn into my memory before I pulled her down to the sheets with me.

-

After, I dared not fall asleep, because it would mean missing time with her. She slept soundly in my arms, our bare skin sticking in the heat we had created. In one moment I thought I could die happily, and in the other, of what would happen the next day.

But I didn't bother myself worrying, instead I memorized her peaceful sleeping face and brushed the hair from her eyes. Everything was perfect.


	5. Finale

**note: **no, it's not a typo.

* * *

I woke up and the clock on the wall told me that it was a little past three in the morning. I was cold – freezing – and filled with unease. All I wanted was to go back to sleep, but instead I climbed slowly out of the bed and padded over to where my clothes and boots waited. They lay in a hastily discard heap and offered me none of the warmth or comfort that I craved. My hand was on the doorknob when I heard her move. My muscles tensed, locked.

"Michael," she said, as if in a dream. "Michael, you're not leaving already?"

I risked a glance over my shoulder. Her eyes were closed, one hand slung across the place where my head once was. Maybe she was in a dream.

"No… no, Anna, just getting that coffee… remember the coffee?"

She sighed and smiled and her hand relaxed. Her breathing deepened again. I let my head rest against the door for a brief second, then made my escape.

I spent a long time walking, without direction and without thought. I walked until the sun came up, but I refused to watch the beautiful colors, refused to let myself enjoy any aspect of the day. By sunup my fingers were raw and red and my eyes were watering from the wind and still I could not get rid of the bitter taste in my mouth.

Without realizing it, my feet carried me down their familiar path and towards the distribution center. It wasn't that I wanted to see anyone, least of all Race, but at the same time, I didn't think I could bear being alone with my thoughts for a minute longer. I reached the Lodging House just as the tail end of the group was stumbling out. It was the perfect chance to blend in with the crowd and try one more time to get my bearings. To figure out what – if anything – I would do.

"SHIT, Skitts, where the _fuck_ were you last night?!" Racetrack rushed through the crowd and pushed me against the nearest building wall, fire in his eyes. I was almost relieved. I no longer had the choice of keeping a secret; he already knew.

"Race, I-"

"_Shit._ Shit. What've you… Shit, Skitts, this is bad. Come on, we should get you outta here." He pulled me into an alley and out of sight. Now I was just confused.

"What's going on?" I asked, dazed. Race looked me up and down with careful eyes – soul-searching eyes. He blew out a long, low breath and stepped back.

"What happened?" He asked, quiet now.

"I…" I was lost.

"Come on Skittery, stay with me," he said, suddenly worried, and glanced out to the main road. "Just tell me what happened, it's ok, I can help you hide."

"Hide? Race, slow down, what are you talking about?"

Race paused, searched me again, then sighed in relief and smiled.

"Ok, alright, it wasn't you… I mean, not that I ever thought it was you, but, you know, with you actin' all weird and dazed right now… shit, though, we still gotta hide. Just until it blows over.

"Race," I said, trying one last time. "Please – what's this all about?"

He went to the mouth of the alley and motioned for me to stay, then stepped out. I heard a quick exchange of words, then he ducked back in and returned to my side, clutching the morning's paper.

"Just… well, look." He thrust the paper into my hands. I looked. It was a headline right out of one of our games.

"_TOWN HALL MURDER SHOCKS CITY"_

"_Few at scene agree; local newsboy the slayer!_"

I looked up, still puzzled, but Race refused to meet my eyes, so I read further. The deceased was described as one Carl R. Oppenheimer, and an artists depiction revealed him to be almost identical to the man with the monocle and mustache that had tried to talk to me just days before. I looked under the picture, and my blood ran cold. Even through the quick ink sketches of the artist, my face was clear. It was twisted into a sinister expression, but still undeniably… _me._

"How…?"

"It's the Town Hall, Skitts," Race said sadly. "We go there all the time, somethin musta been goin on last night, and… well, whatever happened… Skitts…"

"I wasn't there. Race, I swear, I wa-"

"Ok, ya, I know, I believe you." Another sigh. "I don't know why, Skitts, but they needed someone to blame and they blamed you. Shit."

"Shit," I echoed dumbly.

"Everyone's real worried… listen, let's just get ya home and then we'll figure out what to do."

I nodded, feeling more empty than I ever had.

Then we stepped out into the road, into the daylight. I heard a shout, and that was the end of it.

* * *

Justice is swift when dealing with street rats and orphans. I stood on the scaffolding and watched my breath crystallize in the cold December air. I willed my eyes to look forward, straight ahead, but before long they drifted down and found Race's gaze. He stared unflinchingly back, his elk brown eyes full of a mixture of fear, confusion, and hurt. The jeers and excitement of the crowd were strangely muted to my ears. Our look held.

_"Son, what is your alibi? If you were somewhere else on that night, you won't have to die."_

_I was not surprised by the judge's kindness. He had acted this way for the past few days as the trial rushed around me. I knew he pitied me and I knew he didn't think me guilty. But half a dozen eyewitnesses had spoke out against me, all of them powerful community figures. Now he was doing his best to give me a last chance. _

_My friends, who had missed days of selling to do their best to support and defend me, leaned forward and strained to hear words arise from my silence. I did not meet their eyes. I did not meet the judge's eyes. I was not the one to break this silence. That was Race. Seeing that I had no words to say, he stood up, and the scrape of his chair on the floor screamed in my ears. _

_"Yeah, well fuck you, Skitts," he spat, and left. The others followed hesitantly, uncertainly, backing out. They thought I was giving up. I continued to stare at my hands. The judge sighed. His gavel hit and echoed like thunder. _

Almost as if by accident, my gaze slipped away from Race and recognized Anna. She was close to him, wrapped in a sturdy embrace. Dry eyed, she looked straight ahead at the person in front of her. Her lips were pursed and her arms were crossed. I couldn't tear my eyes away. I noticed now that my entire body was tense and my muscles yelled in protest. Suddenly the crowd's taunting and screaming hit me full force and for the first time, I felt panic. The distant indifference I had tried so had to portray in my look turned to pleading, but her own gaze never shifted. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Race turn around. My head pounded and my hands strained against their binds. Each footstep behind me was heavy with the unknown. I just wanted


End file.
